Boudreaux's - Featured Member

Posted by Made in Oklahoma on 05/02/2017

Boudreaux’s Swamp Sauces and Seasonings

Tell us a bit about Boudreaux’s Swamp Sauces and Seasonings, how it all started and how you got to where you are today?

I grew up in the rural south in a small country community on the Arkansas/Louisiana state line in a family that has a passion for cooking. My uncle Roy Haynes starting making his mustard based sauce in 1980 and selling it in small mason jars to people in our community. Watching the reaction of the people when they would try his sauce really captivated me and my love for BBQ and sauces began. I knew my uncles sauce was something special, so 5 years ago I bought his recipe and started Boudreaux's Swamp Sauces and Seasonings with my wife, Jenni. We began developing our other four flavors to bring some diversity to the market for the consumer.

That’s really wonderful, How do you come up with your delicious flavors?

For me, creating a new sauce flavor is a lot like developing a great wine. I think about what foods other than just BBQ will the sauce pair good with. I like to create products people can also use in the kitchen, not just on the grill or smoker. Diversity is a key element to being successful in any business, so showing our customers other ways to use our products is a great way to spark new ideas with cooking. A great example is our Bayou Dipping sauce, we put 1/4 cup per pound of ground meat when we make meatloaf. The mustard and slight hint of hickory flavor bring a unique taste to the meatloaf and helps keep it moist as well.

What are your current and future goals for Boudreaux’s Swamp Sauces and Seasonings?

Our short term goals for Boudreaux's is to continue placing our products in retail locations in Oklahoma markets and growing awareness of our brand and the MIO coalition through trade shows other public events. We have two long term goals, First on the business side we plan to launch two more products in the next two years and continuing grow our brand into neighboring states. Secondly in the humanitarian area, we want Boudreaux's Swamp Sauces to a business that gives back. At some point we hope to have BBQ supply store that offers anything BBQ or grilling related. The way i envision tying that into giving back is by building relationships with troubled youth in our communities through our business to encourage them and show them that with passion and a good work ethic anything is possible. Leading by example.

How has Boudreaux’s Swamp Sauces and Seasonings contributed to our state and your community?

We understand that community involvement is a must. We have donated our products to our local United Way program hosted by Bank first and other charities for silent auction each year we have been in business and plan to continue doing so. I have been involved the sport of rodeo for 25 plus years and for the past 8 years I volunteer as an instructor at a rodeo Bible camp know as the "Camp of Champions" in Sayre, Oklahoma hosted by Trinity Fellowship church. To some it may not seem as contributing to our state,but as instructors we focus on growing the youths relationship with God and building good character in the them by helping them understand why a great work ethic is important in everything they do. To me, investing in our youth is one of the most important ways to contribute to our state by helping develop future adults with great principles such as integrity and honesty.

What keeps Boudreaux’s Swamp Sauces and Seasonings going every day, No matter the hardship?

Knowing my "WHY"! Everyone needs to understand WHY they want to do something. Once you find the WHY, you can begin to build a plan to accomplish your dreams. My "WHY" is building a successful business with our family recipes carrying on the legacy my uncle started almost 40 years ago. Secondly, Passion!!! Without passion for doing what you do, your drive will fade when hardships or obstacles surface... and trust me there are always challenges being an entrepreneur. Chase the dream,not the money!

You can learn more about Boudreaux's Swamp Sauces and Seasonings and where to find them by going to swampsaucesandseasonings.com